Newcastle Utd 0-2 Man Utd: Solksjaer wins fourth game in a row

• Posted on January 3, 2019
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

Substitute Romelu Lukaku scored with his first touch as Manchester United beat Newcastle United with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer becoming the second manager in the club’s history to win his first four league games in charge.

The Norwegian emulates the feat of Sir Matt Busby in 1946.

Lukaku, who had only been on the pitch 38 seconds, pounced on an error by Martin Dubravka with the Slovakia keeper spilling a free-kick by Marcus Rashford.

Rashford doubled the lead after a sweeping move involving Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez as Newcastle lost for the eighth time at home in the league this season.

Newcastle’s best chance fell to Ayoze Perez when the Spanish forward got behind the visitors’ defence but Luke Shaw made a last-ditch challenge.

The hosts were fortunate to finish the game with 11 players after substitute Jonjo Shelvey’s reckless challenge from behind on Paul Pogba, which went unpunished.

Man Utd go from strength to strength under Solskjaer

After convincing wins over Cardiff, Huddersfield and Bournemouth, this was Manchester United’s sternest test under Solskjaer.

They lost the corresponding fixture last season 1-0 but came through this examination while keeping a first clean sheet in eight top-flight matches.

This was another high-octane, attacking performance from a team that has come alive under the caretaker manager.

Although he failed to find the net after scoring four in his previous two games, Pogba was once again influential and typified the new-found belief surging through the team.

Seven of United’s previous 12 goals under Solskjaer’s reign had been scored in the first half yet they had to wait until the 64th minute to find the breakthrough.

Lukaku made it two goals in as many games after Dubravka failed to hold Rashford’s free-kick.

There was little the Newcastle keeper could do about the second goal, Rashford rounding off a delicious move to notch his third goal in four games under Solskjaer.

Source: BBC